Online Shoppers 2008
The EIAA Online Shoppers Report 2008 forms part of the ongoing Mediascope
Europe Study. Now in its fifth year, Mediascope Europe is one of the most
comprehensive pieces of research available looking at how people consume media
and how they use the internet for content, communication and commerce.

Summary
ONLINE RESEARCH
•

40% of all European online shoppers have changed their mind about which brand
to buy following research on the web

•

Online shoppers in the UK are the most likely to be influenced by information on
the internet (49%) while Italians are the least likely to change their mind (27%).
Effect of online research on brand chosen

ai
n

34%

27%

Ita
ly

36%

Fr
an
ce

37%

Sp

40%

an
y

42%

Sw
Eu
ed
ro
en
pe
an
av
er
ag
e

um
Be
lg
i

No
rw

42%

G
er
m

44%

ay

44%

m
ar
k
Ne
th
er
la
nd
s

48%

De
n

UK

49%

[Base: All Online Shoppers who have researched online (n=3352)]

•

In comparing e-commerce behaviour across Europe, it is clear that as markets
develop in online sophistication shoppers consume a wider variety of marketing
messages and information sources to make their purchase decision

•

European consumers are most likely to change their mind as a result of online
research when it comes to buying electrical goods - 59% changed their minds on
brand - and 43% changed their mind when it came to booking holidays and travel.

•

Over half (59%) of online shoppers cite that websites of well known brands are an
important source of information when researching or considering a product or
service
o

Search engines are considered more useful (76%) than personal
recommendations (72%)

o

61% find price comparison websites a useful source of information

o

57% look to customer website reviews to help them choose

Key sources of information for research

76%

Search engines

72%

Personal recom m endations

61%

Price com parison w ebsites

59%

Websites of w ell know n brands
New spapers/m agazines

58%

Product inform ation in shops

58%

Custom er w ebsite review s

57%

Expert w ebsite review s

57%
56%

Retailer Websites

50%

Sales people in shops
Content provided by ISP

38%

[Base: All Online Shoppers (n=3352)]

ONLINE SALES
•

A massive 80% of European internet users have bought a product or service
online, up 3% since 2006 and double the 2004 figure (40%)

•

These European online shoppers made 1.3 billion purchases in just a six month
period, spending an average of €747 each online
o

The UK (486m) and Germany (342m) made the most purchase

o

Norway (€1203) and the UK (€1195) spent the most money online per
person

84% of online shoppers go online via a broadband connection
(compared to 70% of internet users who have not bought a
product/service online)

o

On average they use the internet on 5.7 days each week, spending an
average of 12.3 hours online (above the European average of 11.9)
and over half (51%) log onto the internet every day:

Most popular products/services bought online by online shoppers

67%

66%

64%

63%

59%

56%

55%

54%

51%
42%

Ita
ly

e

an
y
G
er
m

ro
pe
an
Eu

[Base: All Online Shoppers (n=3352)]

av
er
ag

UK

ai
n
Sp

um
Be
lg
i

Ne
th
er
la
nd
s

Fr
an
ce

Sw
ed
en

k
De
nm
ar

No
rw

ay

22%

KEY MESSAGES
•

40% of all European online shoppers have changed their mind about which brand
to buy following research on the web, highlighting the power that websites can
have in the purchasing decision.

•

Online shoppers from more mature online markets are more likely to change their
mind on what brand to buy following web research, than online consumers from
less developed markets. As markets develop in online sophistication, shoppers
will consume a wider variety of marketing messages and information sources to
make their purchase decision which increasingly influences their brand and
product choice. As a result, marketers must develop ever more effective
strategies to engage with their consumers.

•

The web is an ever more powerful resource for consumers wishing to research a
product or brand. Over half (59%) of online shoppers cite that websites of well
known brands are an important source of information when researching or
considering a product or service and search engines are considered more useful
(76%) than personal recommendations (72%).

•

Marketers need to provide relevant information at the right time and in the right
place online to ensure effective engagement with their consumers whilst they are
in the purchase making process.

•

More and more shoppers are making the most of the convenience of online
shopping. 80% of European internet users have bought a product or service
online, up 3% since 2006 and double the 2004 figure. Online shoppers made 1.3
billion purchases in just a six month period, spending an average of €747 each
online.

•

There are gender differences between goods consumed by online shoppers with
female shoppers focusing on clothes (40% vs. 27% of men) and holidays (46%
vs. 38% of men) while their male counterparts go for electrical goods (39% vs.
27% of women) and CDs (25% vs. 20% of women. Marketers should be aware of
these gender differences when developing online marketing campaigns.

METHODOLOGY
The EIAA Mediascope Europe 2007 study, which was managed by SPA and
conducted by Synovate, involved 7,008 random telephone interviews with over 1,000
respondents in the UK, Germany, France, Spain, Italy and the Nordics respectively
and 500 respondents in Belgium and the Netherlands respectively. Interviews were
conducted throughout September 2007.

For more information please go to www.eiaa.net or email info@eiaa.net

If you are an agency or advertiser requiring a more detailed presentation of this data
please contact afennah@eiaa.net

ABOUT THE EIAA
The European Interactive Advertising Association (www.eiaa.net) is a unique panEuropean trade organisation for sellers of interactive media. The primary objectives
of the EIAA are to champion and to improve the understanding of the value of online
advertising as a medium, to grow the European interactive advertising market by
proving its effectiveness, thus increasing its share of total advertising investment. Its
members are currently AD Europe, AdLINK Group, AOL Europe, Microsoft Digital
Advertising Solutions, Tiscali, Yahoo! Europe, LYCOS Network Europe, Atlas &
DRIVEpm, Doubleclick, wunderloop, MTV Networks Europe and PREMIUM
PUBLISHERS ONLINE. It is chaired by Michael Kleindl, Managing Partner of Valkiria
Network. The EIAA membersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; networks account for over 80% of the European online
audience.